South Africa: Fires Rip Through Cape Town Slum

At least three people died and thousands were left homeless after several fast-moving fires swept through a crowded slum at the edge of Cape Town on Tuesday, the South African Press Association reported. The fires broke out in a crowded township called Khayelitsha just before dawn, catching many residents as they slept. Many people in the township live in tin shacks and other flimsy dwellings, which magnify the risk of fire. It is summer in South Africa, which made this fire unusual because fires in townships are more common in the winter, when residents use kerosene stoves to keep warm. The cause of the fires was under investigation, according to local news reports.

Correction: January 2, 2013

An earlier version of this item referred imprecisely to the current season in South Africa. While the item stated correctly that fires in South African townships are more common in winter, when residents use kerosene stoves for warmth, it did not make clear that it is now summer there, which made this fire unusual.

A version of this brief appears in print on January 2, 2013, on Page A7 of the New York edition with the headline: South Africa: Fires Rip Through Cape Town Slum. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe